The Partnership for 21st Century Skills defines 21st Century Skills as the essential skills for success in today’s world, such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration.

 

P21 also provides the following framework that's useful for discussing these skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a recent survey, nearly two-thirds of employers believed high school graduates were deficient in the following areas:

-       Written Communication

-       Problem Solving

-       Critical Thinking

-       Professionalism

-       Work Ethic

 

All of these areas are addressed by concentrating on 21^st Century Skills.

 

Teaching 21^st Century Skills does not require us to change our content. It doesn’t require that we drastically change things at all. Rather, they require that we change the way we filter our content and that we ask our students to engage in content in a different way.

 

Using 21^st Century Skills does require students to think critically, collaborate, make decisions, and use content rather than simply know it. It does require our purposefully blending skills into our content as more than just a means to an end, but as one of the key ends itself.